War in Afghanistan (2001–present)

U.S. President George W. Bush demanded that the Taliban hand over Osama bin Laden and expel al-Qaeda. The Taliban requested that bin Laden leave the country, but declined to extradite him without evidence of his involvement in the 9/11 attacks. The United States refused to negotiate and launched Operation Enduring Freedom on 7 October 2001 with the United Kingdom. The two were later joined by other forces, including the Northern Alliance.[23][24] The U.S. and allies drove the Taliban from power and built military bases near major cities across the country. In 2003, NATO assumed leadership of ISAF, with troops from 43 countries. Though vastly outgunned and outnumbered, the Taliban insurgents, most notably the Haqqani Network and Hezb-e-Islami Gulbuddin, have waged asymmetric warfare with guerilla raids and ambushes in the countryside, suicide attacks against urban targets and turncoat killings against coalition forces. Historical background Origins of Afghanistan's civil war Al-Qaeda

Iraq WarPrior to the war, the governments of the United States and the United Kingdom claimed that Iraq's alleged possession of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) posed a threat to their security and that of their coalition/regional allies.[49][50][51] In 2002, the United Nations Security Council passed Resolution 1441 which called for Iraq to completely cooperate with UN weapon inspectors to verify that Iraq was not in possession of WMD and cruise missiles. Prior to the attack, the United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC) found no evidence of WMD, but could not yet verify the accuracy of Iraq's declarations regarding what weapons it possessed, as their work was still unfinished. The leader of the inspectors, Hans Blix, estimated the time remaining for disarmament being verified through inspections to be "months".[nb 2][52][53][54][55] Background[edit] Iraq disarmament and pre-war intelligence[edit]

Opium production in AfghanistanHarvested poppy capsules. Afghanistan opium poppy cultivation, 1994–2007 (hectares) Background (1979–present)[edit] Soviet period (1979–1989)[edit] As the Afghan government began to lose control of provinces during the Soviet invasion of 1979–80, warlords flourished and with it opium production as regional commanders searched for ways to generate money to purchase weapons, according to the UN.[7] (At this time the US was pursuing an "arms-length" supporting strategy of the Afghan freedom-fighters or Mujahideen, the main purpose being to cripple the USSR slowly into withdrawal through attrition rather than effect a quick and decisive overthrow.) As explained by Zbigniew Brzezinski:

Coalition casualties in AfghanistanCoalition fatalities per month since the start of the war[1] In addition to these deaths in Afghanistan, another 34 U.S. and one Canadian soldier were killed in other countries while supporting operations in Afghanistan. The total also omits the 62 Spanish soldiers returning from Afghanistan who died in Turkey on 26 May 2003, when their plane crashed.National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2012[1] is a United States federal law which besides other provisions specifies the budget and expenditures of the United States Department of Defense. The bill passed the U.S. House on December 14, 2011, the U.S. Senate on December 15, 2011, and was signed into United States law on December 31, 2011, by President Barack Obama.[2][3] The most controversial provisions to receive wide attention were contained in subsections 1021–1022 of Title X, Subtitle D, entitled "Counter-Terrorism", authorizing the indefinite military detention of persons the government suspects of involvement in terrorism, including U.S. citizens arrested on American soil. Indefinite detention without trial: Section 1021[edit]

Who Is ISIS? 4 Important Facts About the Ruthless Terror Group in IraqAugust 15, 2014|6:09 am (Photo: Reuters/Stringer) A fighter of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant holds an ISIL flag and a weapon on a street in the city of Mosul, June 23, 2014. The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, also called the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, has garnered countless headlines across the globe. Their atrocities against religious minorities and effort to create an Islamic state in the Middle East have spurred international outrage as well as U.S. airstrikes. Below are four important points about ISIS, specifically its origins, military engagement, atrocities and denunciations from Muslim leaders.Oklahoma City bombing conspiracy theoriesA variety of conspiracy theories have been proposed regarding the Oklahoma City bombing. These theories reject all or part of the official government report. Some of these theories focus on the possibility of additional, unindicted co-conspirators or additional explosives planted inside the Murrah Federal building.

IranIran ( i/ɪˈrɑːn/[10] or /aɪˈræn/;[11] Persian: ایران‎ [ʔiːˈɾɑn] ( )), also known as Persia (/ˈpɜrʒə/ or /ˈpɜrʃə/),[11][12] officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, is a country in Western Asia.[13][14][15] It is bordered to the northwest by Armenia and Azerbaijan, with Kazakhstan and Russia across the Caspian Sea; to the northeast by Turkmenistan; to the east by Afghanistan and Pakistan; to the south by the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman; and to the west by Turkey and Iraq. Comprising a land area of 1,648,195 km2 (636,372 sq mi), it is the second-largest nation in the Middle East and the 18th-largest in the world; with 78.4 million inhabitants, Iran is the world's 17th most populous nation.[13][16] It is the only country that has both a Caspian Sea and Indian Ocean coastline.

Automotive industry in ChinaThe automotive industry in China has been the largest in the world measured by automobile unit production since 2008.[1][2][3] Since 2009 annual production of automobiles in China exceeds that of the European Union or that of the United States and Japan combined. Of the automobiles produced, 44.3% were local brands (including BYD, Dongfeng Motor, FAW Group, SAIC Motor, Lifan, Chang'an (Chana), Geely, Chery, Hafei, Jianghuai (JAC), Great Wall and Roewe), and the rest were produced by joint ventures with foreign car makers such as Volkswagen, General Motors, Hyundai, Nissan, Honda, Toyota, Mitsubishi etc. While most of the cars manufactured in China are sold within China, exports reached 814,300 units in 2011.[4] China's home market provides its automakers a solid base and Chinese economic planners hope to build globally competitive auto companies.[5][6] The main industry group for the Chinese automotive industry is the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (中国汽车工业协会). History[edit]

Transportation Security AdministrationThe Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is an agency of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that exercises authority over the security of the traveling public in the United States.[1] The TSA was created as part of the Aviation and Transportation Security Act, sponsored by Don Young in the United States House of Representatives[2] and Ernest Hollings in the Senate,[3] passed by the 107th U.S. Congress, and signed into law by President George W. Bush on November 19, 2001.

Afghanistan Troop DeploymentFatalities Update: Nov. 10th, 2011. Click on "The Agenda: Map Information" icon for more details. This map displays the NATO countries contributing to the military mission in Afghanistan. The map provides information on troop deployments, mission parameters, and reported fatalities. There are currently more than 147,000 troops stationed Afghanistan. International troops are scheduled to withdraw from Afghanistan in late 2011.Posse Comitatus ActThe Act, as modified in 1981, refers to the Armed Forces of the United States. It does not apply to the National Guard under state authority from acting in a law enforcement capacity within its home state or in an adjacent state if invited by that state's governor. The United States Coast Guard, which operates under the Department of Homeland Security, is also not covered by the Posse Comitatus Act, primarily because the Coast Guard has both a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency mission.